Transcatheter aortic valve replacement is commonly called TAVR. It's done to replace a narrowed aortic valve, a condition called aortic valve stenosis. A doctor inserts a flexible tube called a catheter into a blood vessel and guides it into the heart. A replacement valve made of cow or pig tissue goes through the tube to the area of the aortic valve. A balloon on the catheter tip inflates to press the new valve into place. Some valves are self-expanding.
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